Community

Commitment and language learning and teaching

I have worked with many teachers and students over the years. One fact stands first among many – those who will succeed, those who will be great teachers or students are always those who day in and day out are committed to learning or teaching. They don’t look sideways, they have tunnel vision, a vision on the prize, the result.

Goethe years ago said the following remarkable, inspirational words….

It’s not easy to define but for students it is making sure to study day in and day out. To keep going when the going gets tough. In English we call this “grit”. Angela Duckworth has spent a lifetime researching this important personal quality in students. She wanted to know why some students despite large obstacles, remain committed and kept going forward, kept their eye on their goal. Read about her findings here.

In my work with businesses, schools, teachers using EnglishCentral, the one factor that stands out on why there are poor student results is the lack of commitment by schools and teachers regarding the use of EnglishCentral. Too often, work and practice on EnglishCentral isn’t given credit or part of the official curriculum. Though we appreciate schools using EnglishCentral for supplementary practice or to offer students the opportunity to practice more – I have to say that we’d much more prefer they demand that students use EnglishCentral, that they “commit” to it’s efficacy. Why should students value it if the school or the teachers don’t? English language programs using EnglishCentral that have high student achievement invariably have “committed” to using EnglishCentral and made it a part of their formal grading.

I’ll leave you with this inspiring “Beating The Odds” video. It says it best, that what we do isn’t a math test. We can beat the odds if we are committed to go the distance.